Oualata is one of four Unesco-listed 'ksour' - ancient fortified towns that once thrived as trading and religious centres and now house treasures from the Middle Ages. Photo: AFP
From his roof, Sidi Mohamed Lemine Sidiya scans the mediaeval town of Oualata, a treasure that is disappearing under the sands of the Mauritanian desert.
"It's a magnificent, extraordinary town," said Sidiya, who is battling to preserve the place known as the "Shore of Eternity".
